Jobs boost expected as £4m Home Bargains opens in Galashiels

The discount brand’s Stirling Street outlet, a replacement for its smaller Channel Street store, is due to be opened on Saturday at 8am.

The new store also brings back into use a retail site left empty for over a year since the B&M Bargains store there closed in December 2016.

Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching this flagship store in Galashiels and look forward to welcoming customers through the doors.

“The 25,000sq ft store will offer a range of products including homeware, health and beauty goods, sweets, snacks and drinks, as well as fresh and frozen food.

“Stirling Street will be a great location for us, and we’re proud to be able to offer local people top-branded goods at exceptionally low prices.”

TJ Morris, the Liverpool-based company that owns the discount store chain, also owned the former B&M Bargains store open in Stirling Street for seven years after moving into a former Somerfield supermarket building.

However, this outlet is a complete new build as TJ Morris was granted permission to demolish the old building and begin construction work earlier this year.

Until now, bosses had remained tight-lipped about the renovation of the Stirling Street site and what it would mean for its Channel Street store, despite the TJ Morris name appearing on planning and licensing applications to the council.

It has now confirmed that its Channel Street Home Bargains shop will close tomorrow.

All staff there will transfer to the new store, and new jobs are being created too, adding up to a headcount of about 50.

The chain was unable to say how many of those posts are full time, though, or how many new recruits are being taken on.

The new store will also stock alcohol after being granted a premises licence by the council in March. That means the store will be able to sell off-licence alcohol on up to 5% of its shelving space, as well as providing car parking for its customers, something it couldn’t do at Channel Street.

Home Bargains is one of the UK’s fastest-growing discount retailers, opening around 50 stores a year and priding itself on its ability to buck current trends in the industry.

Established over 40 years ago in Old Swan, Liverpool, the family-owned and family-run business has grown to become one of the largest privately-owned companies in the UK.

Today it boasts more than four million customers each week across its 500 UK stores, employing more than 20,000 staff.

It intends to continue its rapid expansion and recently revealed plans to increase its retail reach to 800 stores and 35,000 staff.